Historical Rome

Brief history of Rome.

Italy’s history sees its most important happenings from the foundation of Rome on.
Before it there were many populations, like the Latins, the Sabins, some of which left important proves of how they used to live, like the Etruscans, but that were quickly absorbed or conquered by Rome.
Rome was founded in year 753 b.C. by nothing more than a not too organized group of shepherd. Their leader was named Romolus.

According to the legend, he, and his brother Remus, were both sons of god Mars, and Rea Silva, from this we can already understand in Rome there were many gods.

They were abandoned in a basket on the Tiber, Rome’s river, and found by a she-wolf , which fed them with its milk, this is why they grew up so brave and tough…

After a fight for quite a silly reason, Romolus killed Remus, marked on Palatine hills’ ground the edges of his new city, and proclaimed himself first king of what would have become the greatest empire of the world. Rome (from Romulus) was just born.

The age called “of the seven kings”, finished in year 509 B.C. with Tarquinius Superbus , one of the etruscan rulers . After this, republic age came.

Since ever, the Romans were conquerors, but never as much as during republic age (that lasted almost five centuries until year 27 B.C.) when this was shown to almost the entire world known in those days.

From a bunch of huts on the Palatine hill, Rome grew up, fast, all the way to northern Europe, north Africa, Greece… conquers made not only of destruction, but mostly of cultural and social growth, either for the empire and its core, the “Forum” and in new conquered territories. Still today big part of our laws, and our politic system, come from this amazing evolution of ancient roman society.

Giulius Caesar’s death signs the end of Rex Publica Romana (Republic) – he died March 15th 44 B.C. ( the ides of March) - everything changed since then, until happenings brought to have all the power in one man’s hands: his nephew Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor, in 20 B.C. .

Is the beginning of the Roman Empire. A time when men succeded, who had more power, considering those days standards, than any president we can think of today, and of course, some were good, some less. Names like Nero, Trajan, Hadrian, Caracalla or Constantine.

This last Emperor, is famous still today for a change that started a new era: in 313 A.D. he proclaimed the end of the persecutions against the Christians.

With the end of Roman Empire in 476 A.D., dark age began, also called middle age, centuries during which invasions, diseases, culture held in the hands of few, and a growing up catholic church that wasn’t exactly an example of forgiveness and love it should have been, made one of the darkest pages of history.

A lot of the most breath-taking pieces of art, and architecture, were made in the age that came right after: Renaissance ( re-birth ) . Names like Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci and many more gave life to some of the most brilliant works in history, like st. Peter’s basilica, the Pietà, Florence’s dome, the last supper and so on.

The centuries to come, will be quite unsteady in Italy, there was not a country, as we mean it today, but small independent states, fighting each other.

A new aspect to Italy, was give by Napoleo, under whom Italy became a Republic, with Milan as a capital and Napoleon as a president, but that wasn’t enough, and in 1805 he became king of Italy in 1805.

In 1861, under king Vittorio Emanuele II , proclaimed the first parlament , but a steady republic won’t be made until the end of world war II.